Cuellar draws a fiery challenger
The group that recruited freshman firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for Congress in New York has found a candidate to take on Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar.
Jessica Cisneros, 26, an immigration and human rights lawyer, on Thursday launched her campaign for Congress, challenging Cuellar in the Democratic primary for the 28th Congressional District.
Cisneros, with the backing of Justice Democrats, could pose Cuellar’s first serious electoral challenge in more than a decade.
She didn’t mince words in a two-minute video, targeting the congressman for his conservative leanings.
“Our congressman claims to be a Democrat,” Cisneros said. “But he’s voted with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time, and he’s Trump’s favorite Democrat.”
The Laredo Morning Times, a sister paper of the Houston Chronicle, was first to report on
Cisneros’ candidacy.
Cuellar, 63, is known for his moderate record in Congress and was a natural target for Justice Democrats. He is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and has supported the oil and gas industries. The 28th District, which stretches from Laredo to San Antonio’s East Side, includes part of the Eagle Ford Shale oil play.
In a statement, Colin Strother, Cuellar’s political consultant, said they welcome Cisneros to the race.
“We look forward to reminding the voters about the congressman’s background, qualifications and record of producing real results for the district,” Strother said. “This isn’t the Bronx, this is the border. Free trade, oil and gas, and responsible gun ownership are part of our culture. Justice Democrats want to take all of those things away, and we don’t think the voters will respond well to that message.”
Cisneros is betting it will. In her video, she promises to fight for progressive priorities such as the Green New Deal, a polarizing proposal to transform the economy to address climate change, and “Medicare for All,” a broad term referring to health care reform that would expand the federal government’s insurance program.
Justice Democrats and Ocasio-Cortez were thrust onto the national stage last year when she defeated Rep. Joe Crowley, a longserving and high-ranking Democrat from New York.
A Netflix documentary called “Knock Down the House” chronicles Ocasio-Cortez’s rise from tending bar in the Bronx to carrying outsized influence in Congress.
Justice Democrats is now seeking to build on that success across the country.
Cuellar has usually cruised to reelection since he first joined Congress in 2005. While his record doesn’t match most of his caucus, he’s popular among colleagues and known for funneling federal resources to the district. He has a spot on the powerful Appropriations Committee, charged with writing the federal budget.
Cisneros was the valedictorian of Early College High School in Laredo after growing up in the border town, according to the Morning Times. She earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.
Her backing from Justice Democrats means her bid will be able to tap into more resources than ordinary for a primary challenger. That positions the 28th District to potentially become the second district in San Antonio with competitive 2020 races.
Last month, Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones announced she would again challenge Republican Rep. Will Hurd in the 23rd District, setting up a potential rematch in one of the nation’s closet races in 2018.